Riding “Hippo’s”

Cole on Smokey

Cole is riding hippo’s for HIPPOTHERAPY!
“Hippo” meaning horse from the Greek language. This is a form of therapy that uses the movement of the horse to aid in physical, occupational, and speech therapy.
Our days of auquatherapy have come to an end due to insurance. It is so true that when one door closes another door opens. We will miss our fun water ‘play’ but it was an awesome experience watching Cole on top of Smokey.
We were lucky enough to find this facility, Coffee Creek Riding Center, a member of the North American Riding for the Handicapped (NARHA), that offers this once the child reaches age 2 1/2. We went in for an assessment to see what will be required for Cole (and what he can do for himself…if he could even stay up on the horse).
Our first step (after the paperwork, of course) was to introduce Cole to the horse. Originally we got to meet Dusty and got to brush Dusty’s mane. Some of the brushes we used, Cole had a hard time hanging onto, but he finally got the idea and grabbed on to the brush.

Cole playing games!

As Cole sat on Smokey the team would guide the horse to walk to different centers. At each center there was a flat circle of a different color and a snap together plastic ‘bead’ of that same color. They would hold the circle up and Cole would have to hold the bead and place it on the circle. Another game they played was to put a small toy inside a box. One of his favorite games was shooting (or dropping) a ball inside a big net. Cole liked this one and he would try to eat the ball.

Cole shooting a football into the net.

At the end of his session Cole had a race with another little boy, playing ‘Ready, Set, Go’ and again with ‘Red Light, Green Light’ and each child won once.
Cole had a great time riding the horse and didn’t realize he was ‘working’.
Our normal schedule will have Cole riding every other Friday, unless there’s a holiday. I wanted to see the difference in his first time to ride and the next, if there was one. I had previously written about Cole wearing Theratogs. These really help with him using his core, reminding him to use those muscles. Unfortunately on our first visit he apparently didn’t want to wear them as he did the typical ‘boy’ thing and peed on them as I was getting him dressed for school that day.
On his first ride he was pretty “floppy” so they wrapped a support belt around his waist that helped a little. On our second visit I made sure I changed him faster that morning so he had his Theratogs and the support belt for that ride. I could see a noticeable difference in his posture.

Cole got to ride Opie for his second visit. We did the same routine of brushing and petting Opie as we did for Smokey on our first visit. In the pictures above Cole is meeting Opie and then placing something inside a small green cube. Below he is placing a yellow plastic bead on a yellow square and another learning activity.

Cole is loving riding “hippos”! Unfortunately we don’t have the space (or the training) for hippotherapy or just riding (keeping) a horse at home, but he loves our version at home too.

5 Little Monkeys Jumping on a Bed

Cole is now 2 1/2 years old and he still can not talk.

I love this video of him playing the “5 Little Monkey’s Jumping on a Bed” game on the Dynavox. You can see he is so excited and he wants to interact with it. He is squealing in delight.

As you may know, if you have read previous posts, we have been teaching Cole ASL as taught on the Signing Time DVD’s.

Cole is very bright and it is obvious he knows what WE are signing to him. There are even some signs that I think he is attempting. But, we don’t want to close any doors and will try ANY means of communication with Cole.

The above video is from when the Dynavox representative came to see if she thought Cole would even be able to use this device. She (Neala) was very kind and patient and feels like Cole is very capable of using a communication device.

With this particular device we have SO many options that would assist Cole. We first tried using the eye scan method. This was very cool. A ‘scanner’ (of sorts) was attached to the bottom of the device and could read both eyes and Cole would be able to scan/choose what he wants with only his eyes.

Well, he would be able to use this IF his abilities made this his only option. This method will not work for Cole as his head is too floppy and he would not be able to hold his head up straight enough to consistently look at the box to choose what he wants.

Another option would be to use a ‘switch’. This looks like the big red ‘Easy’ button that you may have seen in the office supply commercials. Typically this may be located around the head area. Again, I’m not sure this would work for Cole due to lack of head control and….he is a bit claustrophobic about things around his head and would probably completely freak out. Although, we could use the switches for his hand and/or feet. He loves to use his feet so that may be an option for him.

We prefer, and think Cole does too, the last option of Cole simply touching the screen to choose what he is wanting the device to say for him. He does tend to drag his hand and is not completely accurate right now. We think this will improve with practice.

In any case, it is very obvious that Cole is a very smart little boy and he WANTS to use his hands to use this device.

The Dynavox is awesome! It can start out very simple and can grow with him as he learns to talk/form sentences. We can download books (which he totally LOVES) and music (LOVES just as much) and videos, etc.

We are praying that some day his mouth and head and trunk muscles (very low tone) will some day be strong enough that he will be able to talk. If this never happens, then we just want him to be able to communicate his needs and wants and thoughts…in whatever manner that may be.

Special Friends at Special Care

I have mentioned before how much Cole loves being at Special Care School and we love the services they provide.

While Cole is at school they work with him and he is seen by his team of therapists. They are truly amazing!

His therapists are Suzanne, Joan (at the school-physical & occupational therapy) and Lindy (from our state’s early intervention program-speech & swallow therapy) & I take him outside of the school to see Lisa (for swim therapy).

Joe found this article in the paper that covers Cole’s school and I wanted to share. As you will see, they have a great facility and they do great things with what they have! Below is the article from The Oklahoman:

Oklahoma City special care center’s best worker isn’t human

BY BRIAN KIMBALL 

Special Care Inc. recently hired a new employee, and he instantly became the most popular worker.

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He’s also one of the busiest at the northwest Oklahoma City center, which primarily serves disabled children.

He works a 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. shift Monday through Friday, and he only takes one break, for lunch at 4 p.m. He helps kids during physical therapy. He takes them out for walks. He even tucks kids in at nap time.

But you won’t ever hear him brag about his work.

Costa, a 2-year-old black Labrador retriever, has been on staff at Special Care for a little more than four weeks, and Pam Newby, the center’s executive director, said he’s been an invaluable addition.

"We really strive to provide the very best in cutting-edge treatment for our kids, and he’s really helping us do that,” Newby said. "The kids just love him. Even the babies love him.”

Special Care serves about 135 children between the ages of 6 weeks and 19 years, and helping so many can be taxing on a staff of 35. But Costa has made all jobs at the center more enjoyable.

Long process

Newby went through a 10-month process to get Costa from Canine Companions for Independence in Oceanside, Calif.

She sent in an application and then had a phone interview. Next, she had a face-to-face interview via the Internet so officials could make sure Costa would have a good home after his workday.

Following that, Newby went to Oceanside for a two-week training program in June to get acquainted with how to work with an assistance dog.

Katie Malatino, a public relations coordinator for Canine Companions for Independence, said the group spends roughly $45,000 training and preparing each assistance dog. The dogs are then given free of charge to agencies that pass the application and interview process.

All Newby was responsible for was her transportation to Oceanside and providing for Costa’s living costs and routine visits to the vet.

Since arriving at Special Care, Costa has been instrumental in helping the kids, said Suzanne McQuade, a physical therapist at the center for 14 years. The main thing Costa does is provide motivation for kids to do better in their therapy.

But the most impressive thing about him is how he stays calm around so many people.

"The kids will sometimes pat him a little too rough or they might accidentally kick him with their foot when they’re walking because they don’t have good motor control,” McQuade said.

"He stays on task and focused and disciplined no matter how unpredictable the children are in their movements.”

Getting a co-worker?

Newby and McQuade said one of the first things each kid asks when they get to the center is, "Where’s Costa? Can we pet Costa?”

But Newby said she notices Costa is tuckered out when she takes him home at the end of the day.

Having more than 135 pairs of hands eager for attention every day can take a toll on even the most diligent of workers.

Because of Costa’s impact on everyone involved with Special Care, Newby said another canine companion could be on the way. She didn’t have an estimate as to when that could happen.

"I think there’s room for one more,” Newby said.

"Costa helps us serve our kids better, and that was the whole goal when we decided to get him.”

Related Topics: Health and Fitness, Medicine, Medical Treatments and Procedures, Physical Therapy

Many, many “Thank You”’s!

I know to some the subject of donations can be a touchy one.
I have been wanting to post about my gratitude for all the generous donations we have received big and small but wasn’t sure how others felt about their names being posted.
There are some that I know, some that are total strangers & some from groups so I may not even have all of the names. Some donations are not necessarily monetary but have helped just the same.
If I forget to mention you & you have donated, please forgive me. I have tried to make note since the beginning but my memory is not always the best.
Many, many “Thank You”’s go to:

Family (of course)
Grandma & Papa (Mom-thanks for the week you made sure Brett & Shane were taken care of while I stayed with my fragile baby in the NICU), Bobby & Stephanie, Johnny & Shawna for not only the money you threw in but for the support you offered. Travis for your trips to the NICU to check on your newest little nephew and Erica for the phone calls to Papa checkin in on the babe. And Grandapa Bob for always calling with concern & keeping his side of the family informed.

Aunt Sonia…for the daily visits and pics in the NICU (and for tickling Cole’s feet just to piss him off ;P) and bringing Kelsey with you when you could. David & Sally for the many phone calls making sure we were ok.

Friends
We have so many, it will be difficult to mention all by name (it’s a wonderful thing) but I will start with the parents from Shane’s baseball team that made a personal visit up to the hospital while I was still delirious and upset because my baby had to be bussed to a separate hospital. And the parents that made food and brought to our home knowing how difficult it was to spend all day at the hospital & still have to come home to feed our other boys. Jeff & Jennifer for being brave enough to keep Brett & Shane at your place (was it for the whole weekend?). And Wes & Keri Hill, Wes thanks for offering to organize a baseball fundraiser and for helping with the 'follow through'.

Rockie & Julie,Cindy W., Kim, Cathy, Sheila, Cindy B, and Sydney, Kim & Terry.
Co-workers Twylah, Kelly, Marilyn, Shara, Chris, Dorothy, Stacie, Tammy, Cara & Thomas,Vicki, Jackie, Mitchell, Kim and Pam.
Joe’s builder/employer David & Sherrie and partner Carl & Emily, friend Craig and the guys from the church men’s basketball group.
All of our friends we have made through the Early Intervention team for all the wonderful services you have provided from services to apply for to therapy you have provided. Special thanks to Lindy & Kim for hooking us up with the fund raiser and bringing your friends and most of all for loving my baby as your own…he loves you guys. Nova for getting the fund raiser together for us.
For his other therapists at Jim Thorpe. You guys were awesome with Cole & we miss you. I’m sure we will see you again soon.
Thanks to Azhar Therapy’s owner Lisa that provides Cole with aqua therapy, which he LOVES!
I don’t want to leave out the wonderful nurses from the NICU that took such gentle care of my baby and comforted us when we would freak out every time the monitors attached to Cole would go off (again). Special thanks to LaTonya who added extra comfort as she is the wife of a co-worker & we had met previously.
Cole’s pediatrician, Dr. Simmons, neuro, Dr. Hille and Dr. Wright that is working with Cole’s botox injections (and all the wonderful staff).
Cole’s teachers at Special Care School (which he loves) Loretta, Julie, Angela, Rachel, Rachel, Ryan, Phyllis and others I am sure I have left off. And special thanks to the owner Pam that made it possible for Cole to get what he needs. Pam D for all the bookkeeping. And for his wonderful therapists that do so many wonderful things with Cole…Suzanne & Joan.
We appreciate the calls, concerns, food, hugs, and prayers!! and what money you may have contributed.
Special “Thanks” to Crocks shoes for supplying Cole with shoes that are AWESOME and fit great over his orthotics.
Much love to other mommy bloggers that have helped provide me with my therapy. Blogging has been as awesome outlet for me.
Thanks to Mel (daughter with CP) for the friendship, laughs, and the generous offer to donate $4 for every “Cole'” tile necklace sold from your shop.
Thanks Keri (son with CP) for so much wonderful CP info and the friendship.
Thanks Heather (son with CP) for friendship and prayers and support.
Thanks to all of the Signing Time group for opening a door of communication. And the friendships I have made in the group.
…and to the monetary donations…we appreciate your generosity so much!! Without your help we would not have been able to keep Cole in Special Care School.
Ed Daniel, Keith Gibbes, Dean & Susan Vassilakos, Kurt & Karen Billen, Ashley Turvey (Jones?), Will Massad, Joshua Guess, Charles Schiavo, and in loving memory of our friend Ed - Brent & Connie Weis and the Revenue Accounting Dept at Mustang Fuel Corporation, Janie Colliver, Tanya Brown, Karen Johns, Barbara Knight, Linda Kolar. Jeffrey Kunkel, Amy Hopmann.
And if you remember John Connor from the Del City baseball fields…he had made a very generous offer and I posted about his generous offer here…that offer did not occur at that time. Now, I want to tell him an official ‘thank you’ as last week while we were out of town he was kind enough to follow through with part of his offer and made a donation into Cole’s account at his school which will allow us to use recent donations in his trust towards his medical equipment and bills.
THANK YOU! to you all!
Now we will have to concentrate on other fund raisers & donations to finish paying for treatments/therapies (as at times insurance feels these are not medically necessary so we will be paying out of pocket) and medical equipment he requires just to assist him as he still can not sit, crawl, stand, walk, or talk on his own. We will also have future schooling to pay for.
Any ideas or any garage sales or fund raisers in Cole’s name are appreciated as well!

In Loving Memory of …

Ed Daniel

We will miss our good friend Ed!

Ed was Joe’s golfing partner (the only one that was sure to make it to the course almost every weekend ‘no matter what’, over many years) and a very caring & generous friend. He loved the game of golf and Joe loved playing with him. They had many great conversations about everything.

One of the most common conversations between Joe and Ed was in regards to Cole. He was genuinely concerned about Cole’s progress and future. With Ed having such a huge heart he was also the biggest contributor to Cole’s trust, assuring that he was able to remain in Special Care School. For this we will be forever grateful!

On Wednesday, July 1st, Ed called Joe wanting to go play a round of golf. The local course had a special “$6 after 6:00pm”. Of course, Joe was all in. He asked if I would like to walk the course with them for exercise.

We met Ed at the first hole. He was sitting on a bench waiting for us and our turn and mentioned he was pretty tired from playing golf the day before but still wanted to play. Joe was teasing him about hitting into “Ed land” (into the trees). haha

By the time we had made it to the third hole we could see he was struggling and when the beverage girl came by he decided to get a ride back in to the club house.

Joe and I continued on until the eleventh hole and headed back to the parking lot where Ed was trying to cool off. We ended up having to call 911 after talking to his brother and they took him to the hospital where he passed away on Thursday, July 2, 2009.

~today we played for you Ed~ I know Ed would not have wanted Joe to miss his tee time, so, for the first time ever I played a full round of golf with Joe. I know I was nothing close to the partner he is used to playing with but hopefully I made Ed proud!

May every hole in heaven be a hole in one for Ed!

…below is the obituary from The Oklahoman, our local newspaper

Edwin Daniel Jr.

Edwin Curtis Daniel JR passed away on July 2, 2009. He was born on October 29, 1947 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He graduated in 1965 from U.S. Grant High School. He then went on to college at Oklahoma State University and graduated in 1971 with a Bachelors Degree in Computer Science. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edwin Curtis Daniel SR and Lois Hunter Daniel. He left to cherish his many loving memories and gifts to this earth his 2 children: Carrie Christine Rodgers of San Antonio, Texas and Kevin Curtis Daniel of Maumelle, Arkansas; his 2 grandchildren, who were the apple of his eye -- Emily Nicole Daniel and Jace Aransas Rodgers; a son-in-law, Michael Rodgers, a daughter-in-law, Nancy Daniel, a sister, Sharon Shaw of Tuttle; a brother, Don Daniel of Oklahoma City; a brother-in-law, Dell Shaw; and a sister-in-law, Carolyn Daniel; and a host of family and friends who meant the world to him. Ed was employed with Mustang Fuel for over 23 years. Previously he worked for The Economy Company and American Educational Computer. Everyone who loved Ed knew he had a passion for golf, horse racing, basketball and was an OSU Cowboy at heart. He was a loving, caring, generous man. Everywhere he went, from Remington Park to OKC Thunder games and to even the dry cleaners, he always saw a friend. A visitation will be held on Monday, July 6, 2009, 8am-9pm at Chapel Hill Funeral Home. The funeral will be held on Tuesday, July 7, at 10:00 am in the funeral home chapel, with interment at 2:00 pm at the Lexington Cemetery in Lexington, Oklahoma. Memorial donations may be made to a charity close to Ed's heart, The Cole Keathley Trust Fund at http://www.caringforcole.blogspot.com/. Flowers will be provided by Jewel Box Florist, 4205 South Penn, (405) 681-6671. Pallbearers are Stan Weed, Joe Keathley, Brandon Newport, Eric Shaw, Greg Shaw and Jeremy Daniel. Honorary pallbearers are Don Daniel, Dell Shaw, and Michael Rodgers. http//www.caringforcole.blogspot.com/

We would like to give special “thanks” to Ed’s children, Carrie and Kevin, for being so caring and kind, like their father, and mentioning Cole’s site and trust. I pray that you can find comfort in knowing your father’s last moments here with us were doing the thing he loved so much…playing golf.

A Thousand Words Thursday – Hippity Hop

What? Did I miss posting about Easter?

So, no big deal if I backtrack to a few events through A Thousand Words Thursday, right?

Isn’t that the point? Use those old(er) photos that say a thousand words?

I want to show you how much Cole has grown since last Easter.

This first picture (above) is Cole this past Easter of 2009. He was loving it when I piled all of his Easter basket goodies all over him…grass and all. He was getting so excited and even started helping pulling everything out, which I thought was great use of his hands.

Now, below you will see Cole from last Easter of 2008. He really had NO interest in the eggs, candy, toys (other than when Shane was blowing his bubbles) or even his grass from his basket.

Either way, isn’t he just as cute as a button? (whatever that really means…just adorable!!) I just love my little man to pieces!

for more ATWT see
Cheaper than Therapy

A Thousand Words Thursday - Tubes

Early to Rise!

On last Friday, May 15th we left the house bright and early to go to Mercy Hospital Outpatient Surgery to have tubes placed in Cole’s ears.

Hopefully we can get some relief from the constant ear infections that he has had all year.

Not a Happy Camper!

My poor baby! He really was a trooper! He was slightly cranky before the surgery while sitting in the waiting room for 1 1/2 hours and then here when coming out of anesthesia.

I really don’t blame him for the crankiness in the waiting room. That is a LONG time to ask a baby to happily sit when it is THAT early in the morning (I felt a little cranky myself!) and then he just wanted his bottle of milk. Unfortunately that couldn’t happen.

Wanna Smooch?

So this lovely lady is what Daddy came up with to entertain Cole while we were once again waiting…but to be released this time. He grabbed a surgical glove and blew it up like a balloon.

Of course I added eyes and lips after we came home and Cole thought this chic was pretty funny!

for more ATWT see
Cheaper than Therapy